


Can't Be 100 If You're Only Giving 95

by NotMichealangelo



Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Banter, Barley should consider getting a job as a therapist at this point, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Hurt/Comfort, Other, barley is barley, ian is sassy, kinda hurt/comfort, mentions of injury, the lightfoots need a break, the manticore is mentioned, wilden is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23599039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotMichealangelo/pseuds/NotMichealangelo
Summary: It's been two days since the events of the film, and the Lightfoots are exhausted. Two days of nonstop public and police interrogation, and Ian is especially tired from rebuilding his High School solely with magic. During the battle with the dragon, Ian had injured his leg and only now, two days later, did he have time to try and heal it. Only the spell isn't working. He's tired and frustrated, and Barley helps him out.Also, I came up with the name of the healing spell and it's... not amazing but it's probably not the worst thing you've seenAlso Also, one of my favorite songs is mentioned in both the story and the title because that song is what inspired me to write this :)
Relationships: Barley Lightfoot & Ian Lightfoot
Comments: 10
Kudos: 130





	Can't Be 100 If You're Only Giving 95

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I had a ton of fun writing this one, so I hope you enjoy :)

"Healion Citius!"

" _Healion Citius_!"

" _Healion_ \- Oh forget it!"

Ian Lightfoot sat on the grass in his backyard, the bright sun beating down on his back and providing a sheen to the sweat beginning to form on his neck. The spells, the quest, the dragon- those events had merely been two days ago. The entire Lightfoot family was exhausted- two whole days of police and public interrogations, and let's not forget countless news stations constantly up in their business. This was the first day that they actually had time alone. 

Ian was especially drained- he had spent the majority of the past two days casting spell after spell after spell to rebuild his school that he and his brother, Barley, had thoroughly destroyed upon obtaining the Phoenix Gem that had held back the curse. To make it worse, Ian had injured his leg during the battle with the stone dragon. He was told that the bone wasn't broken, just cracked. He had been given a cast and crutches that he was quick to get sick of. 

So here he is now, sitting in his backyard, trying to cast a healing spell that wasn't working. 

".... Did you remember your Heart's Fire?" Piped up Barley, who was sitting next to Ian in the grass. He had shed his usual hat and jean jacket, and was loudly sipping on some homemade lemonade that The Manticore had brought them the day before. 

" _Of course I remembered my Heart's Fire,_ " Hissed Ian, glaring at his godforsaken cast. It only had a few signatures on it, one of them taking up half of the cast. It was Barley's. "It's just not _working_!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Barley said, taking another sip of his lemonade. Ian sighed and rubbed the back of his sore neck. 

"I know," He said quietly. "I just... don't understand why it's not working. I mean, once you taught me, I could cast everything perfectly! And now I just... can't."

Barley's expression softened. 

"Ian, don't forget that you're still new at this."

Ian dropped his staff and sighed again. 

"I- I know... I'm just frustrated. Because for the past three days, I've been able to cast spells just fine! A-and now, now that everything's over and we can finally relax, it's not working! And I'm _tired_ and I just wanna heal my stupid leg so I can take this _stupid cast off_!"

Ian paused to catch his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Barley frown. 

"...What is it-"

Without warning, Barley chucks an ice cube from his lemonade right at Ian, and it comes whizzing towards his forehead. 

" _Aloft Elevar!_ "

Ian opens his eyes without realizing he had even closed them. The ice cube floated only a few centimeters from his face. He let it drop onto the ground.

"Barley, what the _actual_ -"

"I figured it out!"

"...What?"

"Your problem," Barley's eyebrows raised as Ian's began to furrow. "You were only able to cast your spells when there was some sort of sense of emergency. You cast those spells because you felt like you had to. The first time you cast the levitation spell, the ceiling was about to collapse on top of Dad. You cast the Trust Bridge because we needed to pull the lever on the other side of the bottomless pit. You cast the arcane lightning because the dragon was about to _eat me_ -" Ian couldn't suppress a chuckle. "-and even when we were just messing around in that cave, we were on our way to get that Phoenix Gem. You rebuilt the school because the entire _town_ was breathing down your neck. But now everything's over, and we can finally relax. There's no reason for urgency, so you've lost your focus."

Ian was perplexed. He had never thought about it like that... He lifted his head when he felt Barley's rough, calloused hand on his bony shoulder. 

"I know you can do it, you just have to give it all of your focus."

Ian looked away from Barley's gaze. 

"But I _am_ focusing! I'm giving it like.. ninety-five percent of my focus!"

Barley laughed incredulously. 

"Well, you can't get a hundred out of something you're only putting ninety-five into! C'mon Ian, just give it all of your attention. Your leg is the only thing that exists right now. Focus."

Ian's gaze flitted uncertainly from his leg to Barley's determined face.

"I just... don't wanna mess it up. What if I cast it wrong and I turn you inside out or something?"

Barley snorted.

"That's highly unlikely. Remember; to be a mage, you've gotta believe in everything you're casting."

"But-"

"Ian. You're, like, the first publicly recognized mage to walk the earth in hundreds, maybe thousands of years. We all believe in you, you've just gotta believe in yourself first."

Barley softly punched Ian's shoulder. Ian stared into Barley's determined eyes. Barley really never doubted him once, did he? Ian felt the corners of his mouth rise involuntarily. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay. I've got this." 

Ian shook himself out and straightened his back, gripping his staff and-

"AH!"

Barley quickly leaned forward, his face riddled with worry.

"What?!"

Ian let go of the staff with one hand and held up his finger.

"Splinter," he said quietly. Barley sighed exasperatedly and leaned back down. 

Ian gripped his staff once more and looked down at his cast.

 _"You can do this,"_ Barley's voice echoed in his ears. Ian smiled and took a deep breath. He can do this. 

"Healion Citius!"

The staff began to glow a soft green; and a warm, tingly feeling arose where Ian's injury sat. 

Ian's eyes widened as Barley jumped onto his feet, laughing and shouting.

"I-it worked! It's working!" Ian exclaimed.

"Ha-HA!" Laughed Barley. "See! I knew you could do it!"

The glow faded and Ian no longer felt the dull throbbing in his leg that was there a moment ago. Barley excitedly stretched out a hand for Ian to grab.

"Try to stand on it, try to stand on it!"

Ian took his older brother's hand, abandoning the crutches that lay nearby. He stood for one second, two seconds... Ian hopped from foot to foot. He let go of Barley's hand and took a few steps. 

"No pain!" Said Ian in disbelief. 

"No pain!" Barley repeated, pumping his fists in the air. He walked over and ruffled Ian's curls.

"I _told_ you you could do it, Mister 'I-don't-know-if-it's-gonna-work'." 

Ian laughed and playfully punched his brother's bicep.

"Now, uh... Is there a magic way to remove gross, sweaty casts?"

Barley placed his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, young mage. You'll have to go back to the doctor's for that."

Ian scoffed. Barley laughed and patted his little brother's back.

"Not everything is solved with magic. Just almost everything. Now let's go have some lemonade."

"But you already had some?" Said Ian.

"Yeah, but I want more."

Ian giggled and shook his head. The brothers walked back into their house, completely abandoning the crutches that lay in the grass.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! The song that was referenced is called Melancholy Kaleidoscope, it's by one of my favorite bands- All Time Low. Give it a listen if you're interested, It's pretty good!  
> I'd love to hear any tips, advice, or constructive criticism anyone has to give me!  
> Drop a comment or a kudos if you'd like <3


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